Home For Life™ Features

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Smart, flexible design is the hallmark of every Home for Life™. Spacious floor plans and built-in safety features mean that whether you live with someone who is three or eighty-three, your home will meet your needs. A Home for Life™ is also a warm and welcoming place for your family and friends to visit regardless of their age or ability.

A Wise Investment

By 2020 nearly 15% of Albertans will be age 65 or older. The demand for homes that meet the needs of our aging population will soon exceed the supply. A Home for Life™ is designed for people of all ages and abilities. That translates into a bigger market for your home should you decide to sell. Choose to build a Home for Life™ and know that you are making a sound investment in the future for yourself and your loved ones.

Stress-Free Living

Most of us want to grow old at home. Sadly, few of us own homes that will allow us to do that. A Home for Life™ has built-in features that allow your home to be modified easily and economically so that people of all ages and abilities can live there independently. Moving is stressful and costly, so why not avoid the trouble by investing in a home that will meet your needs for a lifetime?

Single Level or Multi-Level - The Choice is Yours

It is easiest to incorporate Home for Life™ features into a bungalow or two-story home. Whichever style suits your families needs you can feel free to build. Bi-level or split level homes are more difficult because of the number of stairways they contain and are not recommended floor plan styles for simple accommodation of a Home for Life™ design.

To begin building your Home for Life™ review the features described below. Building these features into the plans for your new home will help you avoid costly renovations down the road.

Ideally, all seven Home for Life™ Essentials will be included on the main floor, eliminating the need to climb stairs to reach a bedroom, bathroom, or laundry area. If this is not possible, then please see the note below regarding stairs.

The Essentials

A zero-step entrance OR space for a ramp or vertical platform lift to be installed inside an attached garage is a necessity of a Home for Life™, ideally, both options should be available to the homeowner, even if the ramp in the garage is not initially built-in to the home.

A zero-step entrance is one that has no steps and is connected to a parking area in the front or back of the home by a gradually sloping sidewalk. This is a feature that must be planned for in the initial building stage.

Space for a ramp or vertical platform lift to be installed inside an attached garage is an additional feature that should be considered. Access via the interior of the garage is often a preferred option for those who live in harsh weather climates. Preventing residents and visitors from having to navigate icy sidewalks and cold temperatures is ideal. A double-car garage is required to accommodate this.

An Accessible Kitchen

A kitchen with a 60” diameter turning circle in the work area is another necessary Home for Life™ feature. This turning circle in the work area should be in front of, or adjacent to, the sink, fridge, cooktop and oven allowing those with limited mobility to use the appliances safely and easily.

If the current kitchen does not have a viable turning circle building in a moveable or removable kitchen island will enable you to easily convert the kitchen when the extra space is needed in the future.

An Accessible Bathroom

At least one three-piece bathroom somewhere in the home that contains a 60” diameter turning circle by the toilet, a shower space with no threshold, and walls reinforced with plywood is the third of the three Home for Life™ necessities. If it is on the second floor of a two-story house, then there must be the option to make it accessible according to the details found below regarding steps and stairs.

Bathe, eat and sleep are the principal three functions of any home. Home for Life™ homes must include at least one bedroom that has a 60” diameter turning circle on one side of the bed that will enable someone with limited mobility to get in and out of bed safely and easily.

A laundry area with a 60” diameter turning circle on the main or upper floor OR an area that has been roughed in so that the laundry area can be moved if required is the final feature of a Home for Life™. Homeowners with limited mobility need more room to maneuver in the laundry area.

Consider using the extra space for shelving if it is not needed immediately. If you choose a basement laundry room, have the plumbing and electrical roughed into the main or upper floor for future conversion.

Typical doorways are usually 30” or 32” wide. The inclusion of 36” wide doors are more convenient for moving furniture and are essential for some people who have impaired mobility.

The average hallway in a home is 34” wide. Designing a home with 42” wide hallways is essential for many people who use walkers, wheelchairs, or scooters. Additionally, wider hallways allow for more space to move furniture through and provide a sense of grandeur for the home.

Steps and Stairs

Obviously, a home with no steps or stairs is the best option since it requires no renovations to be accessible for all, but is difficult to find in newer homes.

40” Wide Straight-run Stairs

If multiple levels are necessary 40” wide stairs which are run in a straight line will provide the space necessary to install a chair lift should it be needed in the future. “Straight run” stairs have no turns or landings. More turns equal more complicated and expensive chair lift installations. Only a straight-run set of stairs will allow for the installation of a mechanical lift designed to carry a wheelchair from one floor to another as well.

5’ x 5’stacking closets that can be converted to an elevator shaft

Properly preparing a roughed-in elevator shaft requires careful design, but essentially, a 5’ x 5’ stacked space is required. This option is becoming more popular in homes where space is at a premium.

A Note About Stairs

If you cannot include the accessible three-piece bathroom, bedroom, or laundry area on the main floor, you can locate them on another floor, provided you follow these guidelines for stairs. To simplify the process for installing a future chair-lift:

Stairs should be 40 inches wide and straight-run (no turns or landings).
A five-foot by five-foot "landing space" at the top and bottom of the stairs is preferable so that the user can transfer into and out of the chair safely.
Electrical outlets at the top and bottom of the stairs may be required.
Reinforce the walls with plywood along the full length of the stairs.
There should be plenty of lighting at the top and bottom of the stairs.
An alternative to these modifications is to construct 5-foot by 5-foot stacking closets that can be converted to an elevator shaft if required.

It is easiest to incorporate Home for Life™ features into a bungalow or two-story home. Bi-level or split-level homes are more difficult because of the number of stairways they contain. Keep in mind the Home for Life™ Builder’s Rule: 0 – 36 – 42 – 60 - 0 steps and thresholds (including in the shower) - 36-inch wide doorways - 42-inch wide hallways - 60-inch diameter turning circles in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and laundry area

Optional Features

Incorporating some or all of the following optional features into your Home for Life™ will further increase your comfort and are cheaper to install when a home is first being built.

A Minimum 10’ x 10’ Flex Room On The Main Floor

If your home doesn’t have a bedroom on the main floor, consider a flex room that can be converted to a bedroom. It makes a convenient place for guests with mobility issues to stay overnight. It also doubles as an “emergency” bedroom if a member of your family is injured and unable to navigate stairs.

A Side-opening Wall-mounted Oven Installed At Counter Height

A side-opening wall-mounted oven is easier to use because you don’t need to bend down. Also, because it is higher than a regular oven, it is safer if you have young children.

Accessible Main-floor Powder Room

Designing a home with at least one bathroom on the main floor with a 60” diameter turning circle by the toilet and walls reinforced with plywood means you will always be able to accommodate the mobility needs of any residents or visitors. A 60” turning circle makes moving in the bathroom much easier and safer for all. Extra space can be created by installing a pedestal sink, opening doors to the outside of the room, or installing pocket doors. Consider using the extra space for storage or as a baby changing area until it is needed for other purposes. The plywood backing surrounding the toilet ensures that grab bars can be installed exactly where they are needed in the future.

Crank Operated Windows Mounted A Maximum of 30” From The Finished Floor

Windows mounted lower on the wall are safer and more comfortable for individuals in wheelchairs. Crank-operated windows are generally easier to operate for someone who has trouble using their hands.

Electrical Outlets Located At The Top And Bottom Of Stairs

120-volt outlets at the top and bottom of stairs allow you to install a chair lift or additional lighting if/when you need it.

Lowered Light Switches, Thermostat And Breaker Panel

Light switches and controls mounted at 48” from the height of the floor are an easy change to make at the construction stage and are far more convenient than the standard height.

Raised Electrical Outlets

Electrical outlets that are 24” from the height of the floor reduce the amount of bending required. Having a few electrical outlets installed into the side of kitchen cabinets as opposed to the backsplash is also very convenient and safer for all.

Upper Kitchen Cabinets Installed A Maximum Of 16” Above The Counter

A height of 16” reduces reaching. In some areas of the kitchen, for example by the stove, the Alberta Building Code requires them to be higher.

Wiring In Place in To Allow For The Future Installation Of Visual Smoke Alarms

Visual smoke alarms flash a bright light when activated. They are required by many people who are hard of hearing. Ideally, they should be hardwired into every room. It can be costly and difficult to do this once a home is built so it is wiser to plan for it at the construction stage.

The “as-built” drawings, which you can request from your builder, will show whether or not hidden features such as plywood backing and special wiring have been incorporated into your home.

Technical Specifications

Specifications for the 8 essential features of a Home for Life building.

Technical Specifications